Paradigm camp
7.24–7.27 · 4 marketers × 4 engineers · San Francisco · completely free

The YC Reject Camp

hosted by Paradigm · A School of One

Rejected from YC Startup School? Never applied because you’re “not technical”?
Good. You’re exactly who we’re looking for.

Apply to the camp →

Applications close July 15, 11:59 PM PT · takes ~10 minutes

Clover, Paradigm's mascot, hanging out with three friends and a laptop
The camp

One house. Two crafts. Three days.

A marketer and an engineer pair up, teach each other their craft, and publish a course on Paradigm. Cameras roll the whole time.

Day 0 · Fri 7/24

Move-in & Aura Farm

Welcome dinner + icebreaker: teach the house your most absurd hidden talent.

Day 1 · Sat 7/25

The Pairing

60-second pitches, a dating-show pairing ceremony. Lock your course.

Day 2 · Sun 7/26

Build + The Twist

Build with your partner. Then shuffle: win a stranger as your first learner.

Day 3 · Mon 7/27

Demo Night

Final sprint, then the open house: mentors, pitches, and a mixer.

The deal

What you get, what we ask.

It’s free. YC doesn’t even cover housing.

What you get

  • 🏠Free housing: the whole SF house, July 24–28
  • 🍜Free food: all meals & snacks covered
  • ✈️Transportation reimbursed: we help cover getting to SF
  • 🎟YC-week access: mixers & afterparties across the city, every night
  • 🎤Mentors in the house: fireside guests from top AI startups drop by all weekend
  • 🎬A film crew: capturing your glow-up in cinematic quality
Clover checking items off a list

What we ask

01A course

You’ll be paired with someone from the opposing side. Together you build and publish a course on Paradigm, then compete for which course gets the most traction. Winner takes the prize.

02Media

Everyone, especially the marketers, publishes content filmed at the camp. Confessionals, day-in-the-life, build-with-me: your channels, your voice, our footage to share.

Also expected: be comfortable on camera (confessionals, the pairing ceremony, the works), full attendance from the evening of July 24 through July 27, and keep promoting your course during the week after camp.

Clover taking notes on your applicationApplication

Apply

Closes July 15, 11:59 PM PT · shortlisted applicants get a quick interview · decisions by July 18

01 · Basics

Whichever you’re most active on. Drop handles or links.

Which side are you?
Need travel reimbursement to get to SF?

02 · Your work

03 · The self-intro

Submit a self-intro video — 1 minute max. Talking head is OK, no editing required.

Introduce yourself in the most engaging way possible, and make sure to cover:

  • The one thing you could teach the house
  • The skill you’ve always wanted but never got
  • If you taught a wildly unserious 30-minute class, what would it be?

Questions? ceciliaz@paradigm.study

The YC Reject Camp · by Paradigm | Paradigm Study